(19)
(11) EP 1 491 232 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
22.02.2006 Bulletin 2006/08

(43) Date of publication A2:
29.12.2004 Bulletin 2004/53

(21) Application number: 04253832.2

(22) Date of filing: 25.06.2004
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
A61M 27/00(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL HR LT LV MK

(30) Priority: 26.06.2003 US 607121

(71) Applicant: Codman & Shurtleff, Inc.
Raynham, Massachusetts 02767-0350 (US)

(72) Inventor:
  • Rosenberg, Meir
    Newton, MA 02459 (US)

(74) Representative: Mercer, Christopher Paul et al
Carpmaels & Ransford, 43-45 Bloomsbury Square
London WC1A 2RA
London WC1A 2RA (GB)

   


(54) Self adjusting hydrocephalus valve


(57) A self adjusting hydrocephalus valve (30) that continuously drains cerebrospinal fluid at a rate which is proportional to the average pressure difference across the valve. The valve employs a ball-in-cone mechanism having an associated biasing element (50) that is insensitive to high frequency pressure variations for regulating the opening of the valve mechanism (40). The biasing element includes flexible bellows (52) having a preset tension.







Search report